July 4 at the Lennox Residence
by Ladylaconia
Summary: Will and Ironhide enjoy a fireworks display, then get company of a friendly sort. Pro-Army, pro-America, and pro-freedom! I luvs da 'Hide. Please R&R!


Will Lennox sat on a lawn chair, gazing off at the fireworks that lit up the dusky sky. He preferred to stay out and enjoy the light show, but Sarah had toted Annabelle indoors for fear of the mosquitoes. He didn't blame her. The last thing he wanted was an itchy, upset toddler, and besides, Annabelle was slightly scared of the loud fireworks.

He didn't even seem to notice as the ground began to vibrate slightly. It was as if someone was pounding a wrecking ball into the earth somewhere nearby. A tall shadow fell over the man, and he glanced back to see a twenty-foot-tall robotic life form standing a few meters from his chair.

"Hey, buddy." Will said, grinning.

"William." Ironhide tilted his head slightly, a gesture of respect and greeting. "Why are you still out here when Sarah and Annabelle are in there?" He pointed at the house.

"I just wanted to watch the fireworks." Will said, resuming his relaxed pose.

"I thought after watching the Decepticons and their destruction, the last thing you would want to see is more explosions." Ironhide commented, cocking his head.

"It's a ritual, I guess. People set off fireworks this time of year to commemorate our nation's independence. Way back in 1776--"

"I have studied your nation's rise to power. Its origins are interesting, to say the least." Ironhide said, crouching down to get more on Will's level. He finally gave up trying to squat, since his left hip was squealing under strain, and sat down flat, causing what felt like a minor earthquake to shake the ground.

Will noticed what Ironhide was holding and cocked an eyebrow. "Hey, where'd you get that?" he asked.

Ironhide looked down at the flag in his huge hands and shrugged. It was a big flag, the kind that goes on a flagpole, but in the mech's hands it looked like a child's toy. "It was on the ground, torn down by protesters, I believe. I didn't know what to do with it."

Will ground his teeth as he stared at the once-beautiful American flag. It was ripped in places and looked as if it had been stomped on. He had seen so many men borne home in caskets draped with that flag... had seen men run into battle, a suicide charge, for the sake of that flag...

"I am sorry if it upsets you, Major." Ironhide said, noting the sudden rise in his human's adrenaline and hormone levels. He didn't know why the man was upset, but guessed that it had something to do with the flag. "I will dispose of it." he declared, priming one of his precious laser cannons.

"No, no. Don't destroy it." Will said, shaking his head. "I just... man, that sucks."

"What?"

"My friends have died for that flag, I give up my life for that flag, my wife has to live without me for months 'cause of that flag, and all people can do is frickin' walk on it." Will grumbled, sinking down in his lawn chair like a sullen child.

"Oh." Ironhide laid it out on the grass and tried to smooth it out. "That is depressing."

Will didn't reply. Earlier that day he and his buddy Epps had treated some of the wounded soldiers from the local base camp to a cookout. (The fact that most of the food had been specialty-grilled by an enthusiastic Ratchet was moot). He had seen men, some of them just _boys_, for God's sake, missing limbs and eyes and facial features, and to be given the grim reality that people didn't _appreciate _that someone cared enough to fight for their freedom was nearly sickening.

"These colors." Ironhide said, breaking the silence that was peppered by fireworks, "What do they signify?"

"Mmm?"

"These markings on your flag. Surely they must _mean _something."

"Oh, yeah." Will stood up and walked to stand in front of the flag, facing Ironhide, his back to the fireworks. "See, the Founding Fathers, the people who got this nation started, they wanted a flag that would personify the spirit of patriotism behind the move for independence. So they finally came up with this design that you see here." He indicated the flag. "There were originally thirteen stars, but as more states were added to the Union, more stars were added to the flag. Which is why we now have fifty."

"What of the colors?"

"Those. Yeah. Well, white represents purity and innocence. I guess that's what our nation is meant to safeguard and protect. The red represents hardiness and valor; my granddad always said it represented the blood shed to preserve freedom. Blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice."

Ironhide was silent for a moment, then cocked his head. "It's peculiar that those are the colors selected by Optimus when he transformed into an Earth vehicle."

It hit Lennox how unique-- and _powerful_-- that fact was. He grinned. "Big guy knows what's cool."

"What might black signify?" Ironhide asked, a bit self-conscious.

Will shook his head. "You define that, 'Hide. To me, black is always gonna be synonymous with 'the giant alien robot that saves my butt every other day'. Do you know how many black crayons Annabelle uses up drawing pictures of you?"

Ironhide grunted, but Will knew the tough old mech was flattered.

Will glanced beyond Ironhide and saw several vehicles coming into his yard. There was a big diesel semi, a yellow Camero, a silver Corvette Stingray, and a pale greenish-yellow Hummer that bore emergency markings. The vehicles were empty except for the Camero, which had two passengers, and the semi, which had Epps in the passenger seat. The Corvette and the Hummer didn't bother parking; they transformed in mid-drive, becoming robots similar to Ironhide. The semi and the Camero let their passengers get out, then transformed as well.

"Hey!" Epps waved at Will. "Thought we'd park here and see the lightshow."

"Fine with me." Will gestured for them all to come closer.

"This human holiday-- this 'Fourth of July'-- it has been quite an experience." Ratchet, the Hummer, said. He saw a bright white stream of fire light up the sky and made a little noise of awe. "Primus, that's brilliant."

"You mean Cybertronians don't have fireworks?" Epps squawked, glancing from the red and blue robot, who was taller than the others, to Ratchet, who was now totally engrossed in the fireworks display.

"We do not use them for recreation, if that's what you mean." Optimus Prime replied, getting down on one knee to converse with the humans more effectively.

"Dang, that sucks." Epps muttered. He pulled a can of Red Bull out of his pocket and opened it, settling cross-legged in the grass. "You don't got no fire ants in your yard, I hope."

"Nah. Just ticks." Will replied.

Epps stood up and went to sit in Will's chair. "In that case, I'll just steal your chair."

"Um, hi." a nervous male voice said. Will saw Sam Witwicky and his girlfriend Mikaela standing by Bumblebee, the gold Camero.

"What's up? Looks like you two are getting along just fine." Will asked.

Mikaela smiled. "Sam's helping his dad rebuild their yard." she said, and all the Autobots winced. "I'm just making sure he doesn't get into any more dangerous situations."

"_Fly into the danger zone! Take a ride into the danger zone!_" Bumblebee's radio sang, and the mech did a little dance. Mikaela giggled, and Sam looked more at ease.

Sideswipe, the Corvette, stood aloof from the rest, watching the fireworks with Ratchet.

The fireworks began to mount in intensity, the beautiful colors bathing the scene in shades of red, white, blue, green and violet. Bumblebee played patriotic music to himself, his version of humming, while Ironhide and Optimus scrutinized the flag that lay on the grass.

"Dude, somebody's gonna be hurtin' for messin' with my flag, yo." Epps grumbled, finishing off his Red Bull. "Where'd you get that?"

"'Hide found it. Bunch of freakshows tore it down. On Independence Day, of all things." Will snorted.

Sam and Mikaela both leaned on Bumblebee's legs, since the 'bot was sitting with his "knees" drawn up. "That's just wrong." Sam observed, wrapping his arms around Mikaela's slim waist.

Optimus picked up the flag, studying it with stern blue optics. Will and Epps both stared. Seeing the formidable Autobot leader holding an American flag, however defaced it was, was an eerily thrilling sight. Especially when they were all bathed in a red, white and blue glow.

"Freedom is the light of all sentient beings." the Prime said, lowering the flag and gazing at the fireworks. "Let us celebrate its survival with pride, but also remember the price paid to enjoy its fruits."

Will and Epps glanced at each other. They were both soldiers who had seen comrades fall and innocent lives taken. They could understand the full gravity of that statement. Like the Autobots, who had lost their own _planet _in the struggle for freedom. What was the difference between them, if they were fighting for the same cause?

"You said it, Big Guy." Epps said, smirking. He crushed his can into a flat disk and stuffed it into one of his many back pockets.

They all stood there and watched as the fireworks continued, streaking across the night sky like comets and meteors. Autobots, soldiers, and two heroic teenagers. Yeah, it was a perfect July Fourth.

Will turned to see Sarah walking toward them, holding Annabelle in her arms. The eighteen-month-old girl had her white-blonde hair in pigtails and wore a cute little red jumper. Her hair clips were white stars. He took Annabelle in his arms, gave Sarah a kiss, and thought, _I wish every day could be as good as this._


End file.
